diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx
index 39c0147da0..62831716c3 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx
@@ -238,6 +238,8 @@ export default class MatrixChat extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
     private readonly stores: SdkContextClass;
     private loadSessionAbortController = new AbortController();
 
+    private sessionLoadStarted = false;
+
     public constructor(props: IProps) {
         super(props);
         this.stores = SdkContextClass.instance;
@@ -470,15 +472,20 @@ export default class MatrixChat extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
         this.fontWatcher.start();
 
         initSentry(SdkConfig.get("sentry"));
-
-        if (!checkSessionLockFree()) {
-            // another instance holds the lock; confirm its theft before proceeding
-            setTimeout(() => this.setState({ view: Views.CONFIRM_LOCK_THEFT }), 0);
-        } else {
-            this.startInitSession();
-        }
-
         window.addEventListener("resize", this.onWindowResized);
+
+        // Once we start loading the MatrixClient, we can't stop, even if MatrixChat gets unmounted (as it does
+        // in React's Strict Mode). So, start loading the session now, but only if this MatrixChat was not previously
+        // mounted.
+        if (!this.sessionLoadStarted) {
+            this.sessionLoadStarted = true;
+            if (!checkSessionLockFree()) {
+                // another instance holds the lock; confirm its theft before proceeding
+                setTimeout(() => this.setState({ view: Views.CONFIRM_LOCK_THEFT }), 0);
+            } else {
+                this.startInitSession();
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: IProps, prevState: IState): void {